Midweek

Damascus Gate this morning ... wet

The bright cold weather yesterday turned dark and gloomy today. It even started to drizzle ... and continued to drizzle right through the night. I had to go to work up at the other library at 5pm but climbing up the hill was difficult. The streets were so wet and slippery ... I was in constant fear of falling and breaking a limb. Now if that's scary ... coming home downhill is a nightmare. Everyone I met along the road was walking gingerly, holding on to handrails when there were, others holding on to each other for support.

Inside Damascus
Gate: hawkers brave
the drizzle

This wet weather has caused some minor flooding in the Old City. Drains used to being dry for 11 months a year ... for the past 10 years, are stuffed with dirt, garbage and grime. Rainwater cannot flow through so flooding occur in the streets. This evening Municipality drainage teams are opening the drainage manholes, cleaning and flushing out all the stoppage so rain water can flow as it should. Problem is they leave the manholes opened right down the street ... in the night, where in our Quarter the street lights are very very poor. I'm just hoping no one falls into one ... especially the little children who play in the streets. It's a tragedy just waiting to happen.

We're expecting colder weather this weekend. Tentative forecast is 2 degrees minimum and 8 degrees maximum. Sunday would see lots of rain and graupel ... perhaps snow in Bethlehem. But please ... no snow in Jerusalem. I'm not ready to shovel snow from the terrace.

The oil spill off Singapore waters is a catastrophe. You read about it in other countries but now its on Singapore's shores. No more swimming, no more seafood, expect a lot of sea life to die. I wonder what the S'pore govt. is doing about it.